Generative AI is transforming marketing and advertising. With generative AI, advertisers can boost productivity, unlock creativity, and uncover valuable insights—ultimately leading to enhanced performance. You can optimize complex creative campaigns, uncover audience insights to boost engagement, and manage everyday tasks and routines more effectively.
The true power of AI lies in its ability to act as your companion—combining human ingenuity with machine intelligence insights. Like any good partnership, collaboration with generative AI must be built on trust. Instead of worrying about AI taking over your job, it’s time to focus on how it can become a crucial part of your work.
A 2024 report by Microsoft and LinkedIn revealed that a quarter of all knowledge workers use AI today. Additionally, a recent Forrester study found that around 90% of advertising agencies in the U.S. are already using or exploring generative AI.
One of the most exciting aspects of using generative AI is the amount of time you can save. Employees who use generative AI can reinvest their time back into supporting the company and developing their careers, client relationships, and communities.
According to recent Gartner research, only 24% of Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) feel they have enough budget to execute their strategy for 2024. However, with generative AI, marketing professionals can achieve more with fewer resources, deriving greater value from their investments—crucial in today’s economic conditions.
For example, internal research by Microsoft Advertising showed that 75% of employees used time saved by generative AI for strategic tasks and spending more quality time with clients. They also dedicated this time to activities that improve job satisfaction (49%) and work-life balance (37%).
Harness the Power of Collaboration—Start with a Human-Driven Strategy Supported by AI
Starting a campaign can be exciting but also a challenging part of the job, right? You’ve already met with the client or stakeholders, developed a solid creative strategy, and clearly defined goals. But now, you’re staring at a blank page—the worst nightmare of any creative professional.
It’s time to incorporate generative AI technology.
AI can complement your strategy, but let’s be clear: it cannot replace your original vision. Think of generative AI as a kickstarter for your campaign, so you don’t have to start from scratch every time.
Let’s say you’ve run a similar campaign before, but this time you want to add a touch of humor. With the Copilot tool on the Microsoft Advertising platform, you can find and repurpose similar texts. Built-in tools like the “Try a Different Tone” feature let you adjust and enhance content instantly.
By leveraging generative AI technology, you gain more time to focus on deep work. Let generative AI handle your overflowing inbox, organize research, or conduct A/B testing for headlines while you concentrate on critical thinking.
Freeing yourself from these tasks will give you more time for creative thinking and bringing new initiatives to life. When it comes to writing copy or creating visuals, generative AI can help you iterate and further develop your ideas.
Becoming a Prompt Expert
A prompt is how users interact with generative artificial intelligence to get the best response or outcome. It’s not a new language but a style and structure of communication where more detail and context lead to better results. Writing prompts is a skill you can develop over time and will likely evolve as generative AI improves. Investing in training and learning opportunities is a great way to build prompt-writing expertise within your organization.
While prompts can be conversational, there is a structure to follow for achieving the best results.
For example, when creating a prompt for ad copy, you want to combine six key elements:
- Task or Goal: What you want the prompt to achieve.
- Role: The person or entity the AI should act as.
- Context: The situation or ad format to consider.
- Target Audience: The individuals the ad is intended for.
- Source: Includes references, data, or brand guidelines.
- Tone: Specifies how the ad should be written or the emotion it should convey.
Example prompt:
“You are an email newsletter copywriter [ROLE]. Create three versions of email subject lines, up to six words [TASK], using the latest research on direct-to-consumer product sales [SOURCE], for selling bath towels [CONTEXT]. The tone should be humorous and empathetic [TONE], targeting young men aged 18–24 renting their first apartment [TARGET AUDIENCE].”
If the first attempt doesn’t yield the desired results, refine the prompt by adding more context or specific instructions. One way to do this is by using built-in tools like “Refine Recommendations” in the Copilot feature on the Microsoft Advertising platform to achieve the desired results.
Once you’re confident in your skills, prompts are a great way to collaborate with colleagues and clients. Generative AI can be used to identify unclear parts of a brief and suggest questions for the client. Or, if you have a vision for a campaign but can’t clearly articulate it, prompts can help create visual materials such as images, videos, and banners in real-time. Additionally, for everyday tasks like summarizing lengthy email chains or taking meeting notes, prompts can save you valuable time.
